DELTA CENTRAL 2027: WHAT URHOBO NATION NEEDS IS A SMART AND WORKING SENATOR, NOT AN OKPE-SLOT FILLER

By Evans Onovughe

In response to Ufuoma Egbo’s article titled “2027: Why The Urhobo Nation Must Root for a Ranking Senator”, one thing must be made absolutely clear: Delta Central does not need a senator whose only claim to re-election is ethnic rotation or his potential to “rank.” What the Urhobo Nation desperately needs is a senator who is competent, courageous, strategic, and visible—a leader who can bulldoze his way into national relevance and bring home results, not just recycled rhetoric.

Egbo argues that “ranking” status will miraculously unlock influence and development. But ranking without capacity, charisma, courage, or competence is meaningless. Egbo’s argument rests heavily on the assumption that ranking in the Senate automatically translates into influence and development. But the past two years have shown us otherwise. Senator Ede Dafinone, despite his access and elite background, has failed to demonstrate the firepower, visibility, and political audacity required to protect and promote Urhobo interests. Our people no longer feel represented. Our voice at the national level is faint—if not altogether muted.

Let’s not forget the precedent, Senator Ede Dafinone, in the past two years, has, by all visible metrics, underdelivered when compared to his predecessor. When Senator Ovie Omo-Agege held the seat, his assertiveness, charisma, and political savvy elevated Urhobo to unprecedented visibility. He may have been controversial, but he was never invisible. The Urhobo voice that once echoed powerfully in the Senate chamber is now barely a whisper. His tenure brought real federal projects, influential committee roles, and national recognition. Under Dafinone, that fire has been extinguished. The bar has been lowered. This is not progress—it is regression.

We must ask: What tangible impact has Senator Dafinone made since assuming office? What notable motions has he sponsored? What flagship federal project has he influenced in Urhobo territory? What national issues has he spotlighted? The lack of answers speaks volumes. Delta Central does not need a senator who simply warms a seat—we need someone who commands it. A leader who’s heard in the right rooms, seen in the right places, and driven to act, not one reliant on Okpe ancestry as justification.

The narrative that Okpe/Uvwie/Sapele deserves a second term as a matter of fairness collapses when weighed against performance. Representation is not a hereditary entitlement; it’s a mandate for delivery. Dafinone’s lack of resonance in the Senate, the absence of landmark legislation or vocal advocacy, and his failure to mobilise national engagement around Urhobo issues all point to the same conclusion: continuity, in this instance, is not a virtue—it’s a liability.

Moreover, public service should never be reduced to taking turns. True equity must be married with proven competence. Egbo’s suggestion that Okpe has only had six years of senatorial presence skips the essential question: what was achieved in those years? It’s not about how long you’ve sat at the table—it’s about what you brought to it.

Ranking, as a concept, is only meaningful when paired with effectiveness. A senator who blends into the background doesn’t suddenly become impactful because he has spent more time in office. If Dafinone has failed to impress in his first term—when most are typically eager to prove themselves—how much more should we expect in a second, when complacency often creeps in?

Urhobo is at a defining moment. Our people are battling systemic neglect, infrastructure collapse, youth unemployment, and political marginalisation. This is not the time to reward silence with tenure. What we need is a savvy, daring, and relentless senator—someone who understands grassroots realities and legislative complexities. Not a figurehead protected by privilege or sentiment.

Turning the 2027 contest into a sentimental crusade for Okpe or a vanity chase for “ranking” is both shortsighted and harmful. Influence is earned through action, not tenure. Dafinone had an opportunity—he wasted it. Urhobo cannot afford another term of muted representation. Equity should never be used to shield underperformance. If a leader has failed to deliver, it is not unjust to seek a more capable alternative.

The next senator must be selected on merit, experience, and capacity. Urhobo deserves a warrior, not a placeholder. We must move past the era of absentee senators and embrace leaders who are present both in Abuja and at home—those who carry the people’s mandate with urgency and resolve.

The notion of “not changing a winning team” falls flat when the team isn’t perceived to be winning. While Senator Dafinone has served, the critical question remains: has he matched the performance and influence that Urhobo expects and desperately needs? If the Urhobo voice is indeed silenced, and development is not flowing as it should, then clinging to a “continuity” that lacks impact is self-defeating.

This is bigger than just Okpe. A ranking senator from Urhobo land means stronger leverage with the Tinubu-led presidency, greater access to federal projects, and a louder voice in national politics. But this influence is earned through performance, not just through a turn. Urhobo sons and daughters, this is the moment to rise above petty politics and demand a clear, strategic agenda. We must unite behind a candidate who is not just a “slot-filler,” but a smart, working senator capable of delivering the transformative change our Urhobo nation deserves. Let competence and demonstrable impact prevail over mere sentiment and a divisive rotational agenda.

Let the debate continue—but let the facts lead.

Evans Onovughe, Political Analyst, writes from Jesse, Ethiope West_